Toronto Raptors forward Kawhi Leonard (2) shoots while defended by Oklahoma City Thunder forward Paul George (13) during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, March 20, 2019, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Rob Ferguson)AP

As if the signing of Kawhi Leonard wasn’t enough, the Los Angeles Clippers stunned the NBA by not only securing the services of the NBA Finals MVP, but by trading for regular season MVP finalist Paul George.

The stunning turn of events in Los Angeles suddenly changes the balance of power in Staples Center and the NBA.

The Clippers, with Leonard and George alone, compare to the Lakers duo of LeBron James and Anthony Davis, especially as James declines with age. Unlike the Lakers, the Clippers have a ready-made supporting cast with players like Patrick Beverley and Montrezl Harrell. The draft-pick cost is steep, but worth the Clippers risk to plug two mega-stars into a team where mega-stars were the missing pieces.

The timing leaves the Lakers scrambling as well because many of their free agent targets signed with other teams. They’ll still be able to cobble together enough help to create a formidable team, but suddenly they may not even be the best team in their building, much less the NBA.

From a Celtics perspective, this opens things up for Boston. Toronto is certainly going to shift into a rebuild-mode. Brooklyn is still missing Kevin Durant for the season, so they’re not a complete team just yet. Milwaukee and Philadelphia stand out as front-runners in the East, but each has exploitable flaws.

It might not matter much, though. The Clippers have suddenly become the NBA’s newest super-team. And no one saw it coming.

Note to readers: if you purchase something through one of our affiliate links we may earn a commission.